The Safari

Ken Nisch is the Chairman of JGA and has focused his efforts developing branded environments and consumer strategies for clients around the world including Sundance, Hershey’s, Sleep Number, Signet, H&M, Shinola, Whole Foods Market and El Palacio de Hierro. His consumer knowledge and entrepreneurial insights have been an integral part of the conceptual development and strategic image positioning f...

Jennifer Vaughan Maanavi is the CEO and Co-Founder of Physique 57, an innovative and modern take on fitness that offers a fresh new boost to barre workouts. She is an accomplished entrepreneur and thought leader with more than 20 years of success across the health and wellness, fitness, and financial services industries. We talk about: the inspiration behind Physique 57, the expansion process of h...

Luca Solca is the Senior Research Analyst at Bernstein covering European Luxury Goods. With over 25 years of experience, his research has been consistently recognized by industry organizations as trusted research that cuts through complexity with independent clarity, generating exclusive insights that reframe perspectives and strategies. Earlier in his career, Luca served as the Executive Vice Cha...

Bill Brace is the EVP Chief Marketing Officer and Executive General Manager of Jared of Signet Jewelers, the world’s largest retailer of diamond jewelry. Bill previously served nearly 30 years at Procter & Gamble, Co., most recently as VP of Global Antiperspirants and North American Skin and Personal Care, where he drove billion-dollar brands through consumer-centric strategies and successful exec...

Evan Berkley is the CEO of Mr. Christmas, the industry leader in creating, designing and marketing innovative seasonal decorations. For over 85 years, this multi-generational family owned business has been a constant during the holiday season by delighting families with memorable and treasured gifts. We talk about: the nostalgic component of the holiday season, the product iteration process, brand...

Amanda Baldwin is the President of Supergoop!, the sunscreen and beauty brand driven by the purpose to change the way the world thinks about sunscreen through its clean, protective, and highly innovative products. This philosophy has propelled Amanda and her team to constantly imagine ways to help people wear SPF every day. We talk about: Supergoop!’s brand DNA, her experience in the beauty indust...

Robert Jaegly is the CEO of Mana Products, the world’s leading partner for innovative development and manufacturing of branded and private label prestige beauty products. At Mana, he helps create beauty’s next trends by combining industry insight with cutting-edge research and operational expertise to yield truly singular cosmetics and skincare products. We talk about the history and emergence of...

Chieh Huang is the CEO and Founder of Boxed, the online membership-free wholesale experience that offers direct delivery of bulk-sized packages with the goal of making shopping for bulk easy and convenient. Prior to Boxed, Chieh was the CEO of Astro Ape, one of the first mobile social gaming studios. After Zynga’s pre-IPO acquisition of Astro Ape, he became the Director of Zynga Mobile NY, leading...

Bruce E. Teitelbaum is the Founder and CEO of RPG, an award-winning design/build firm globally recognized for its ability to invigorate the brick-and-mortar experience, elevate and reinforce the power of brands, and compel consumers to shop and purchase. Through Bruce’s leadership, RPG has recently formed strategic alliances to deliver the highest of standards in turnkey solutions, including formu...

Chris M. Williams is the Founder & CEO of Pocket.watch, the studio that specializes in entertaining and inspiring kids and families through digital-first content and sparking their imaginations with lifestyle products ranging from toys to toothbrushes. He's dedicated to bringing kids and families more of what they love by turning YouTube stars, characters and formats into global lifestyle franchis...

Matt Britton is the Founder and CEO of Suzy, a real-time consumer intelligence platform connecting directly to brand audiences. Throughout his career, he has consulted for over half of the Fortune 500 and has had a unique ability to connect the dots between the new consumer culture of today and the business trends of tomorrow. We talk about: how Suzy shapes ideas to resonate with consumers, modern...

Emily Heyward  is the Co-Founder and Chief Branding Officer of  Red Antler , a leading branding and marketing firm focused on early-stage ventures. Throughout her career, she has helped create, launch, and build devoted fan followings for some of the most beloved consumer brands, such as Allbirds and Casper. In her book, Obsessed, Emily takes readers behind the scenes of the creation process and o...

CallisonRTKL is a leading global architecture, planning and design firm focused on cross-pollinating ideas and delivering quality at all levels in all places. CallisonRTKL’s VP and Global Services Lead of Customer Experience, Paul Conder, and Associate Vice President of CX Innovation and Insight, Lily Olsson, join us to discuss our joint project “Visions Into the Future”. We talk about: pre and po...

Erik Oken is the global head of retail and consumer investment banking at J.P Morgan. Throughout his expansive career at the firm, he has been dedicated to growing companies in the consumer goods, food and beverage, and luxury sectors in ways that not only help them excel, but also adapt to and anticipate the ever changing retail landscape. We talk about: the need to transform the food system, the...

Griffin Thall and his Co-Founder Paul Goodman founded Pura Vida after a trip to Costa Rica and an encounter with two artisan bracelet makers inspired them to create a charitable jewelry and accessories brand that showcases local craftsmen. Over the last few years, they have partnered with more than 175 charities around the world to donate nearly $2.4 million to causes their consumers care about. W...

Samer Hamadeh is the Founder and CEO of Zeel, the on-demand massage company that connects people with licensed massage therapists who provide massages at home, in hotels, or at the workplace. Since launching Zeel in 2012, Samer has channeled his impressive entrepreneurial background into building a wellness platform that not only addresses our aches and pains, but also explores the possibilities o...

Sarah Blank is the Co-CEO of Scanlan Theodore in the United States, an Australian women’s fashion and accessories brand offering a range of ready-to-wear, handbags, and footwear focused on modern elegance, timeless, and versatile designs. Sarah and her Co-Founder, Melinda Robertson, began their journey with the brand as consumers who loved the products and saw an opportunity to grow the brand inte...

Deena Bahri is the Chief Marketing Officer of Stock X, the online marketplace that has turned resales of consumer goods into highly valued business by creating a ‘stock market of things.’ Since its creation, Stock X has skyrocketed from being a young startup to a beloved brand for customers who want to buy, sell and discover products they covet. We talk about: the convergence between the contender...

Laura Doyle is the Vice Chairman and CEO of Doyle Auction House, one of the world’s foremost auctioneers and appraisers of fine art, jewelry, furniture, decorations, rare books, and a variety of specialty categories. Following in her father’s footsteps, Laura has been deeply ingrained in the auction world since her youth and now assumes the lead in a digital age. We talk about: the auction house’s...

Michael Clinton is the Senior Media Advisor to the CEO of The Hearst Corporation, a leading global media company with assets which span from television networks and magazines to newspapers and emerging digital entertainment companies. Throughout his 40-year career in this space, Michael has brought ongoing leadership and critical knowledge to the media industry and continues to align the business...

John Ballay, the CEO of Knot Standard, Melissa Mash, the Founder and CEO of Dagne Dover, and Nate Checketts, the CEO and Co-Founder of Rhone recently started an initiative called Brands x Better, a group of 27 brands that are united in an effort to raise awareness and funds for various charities that are helping the COVID-19 crisis. We talk about: how the digitally native leaders and the fashion i...

Allie Egan is the CEO of Cynthia Rowley, a leading global lifestyle brand built on the philosophy that fashion should be an adventure. Since joining Cynthia Rowley, Allie has not only headed the brand’s switch to becoming digital-first through e-commerce, retail, and wholesale, but has also carried over the spontaneous spirit of the brand via innovative approaches to sustainability, marketing, and...

We all are thinking through how we are going to manage the coming weeks and months. I for one turned to a group of my closest friends and advisors, who happen to also be colleagues and experts in crisis management. The conversation I had was so compelling that I decided to have it a second time but this time recorded. Blly Susman is one of the leading financial minds in the consumer investment ban...

Tata Harper is the Founder of her beauty brand Tata Harper Skincare, a line of natural products merging nature’s botanicals and technology from around the globe to create multi-purpose and multifunctional products that never compromise on luxury. Since launching 10 years ago, Tata has become a leader in not only the beauty industry, but also the consumer lifestyle space. We talk about: the develop...

Gabi Lewis is the CEO and Co-Founder of Magic Spoon, the DTC brand upgrading cereals you know and love from your childhood for the modern consumer. Just 10 months into its business, Magic Spoon has reinvented the cereal aisle by masterfully threading the needle between healthy ingredients and colorful, exciting brand marketing. We talk about: the similarities and differences of building EXO vs. Ma...